No Greater Love
by lia-finn
Summary: It should have been easy. Life, love. But it wasn´t. Never to them it seemed. Of course they were happy at times, but too much was lost, too much was sacrificed in the end. JS
1. Default Chapter

Title: No Greater Love  
  
Author: Lia  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Classification: A, R  
  
Pairing: Jack/Sam, mentions of Daniel/Janet  
  
Spoilers: Yes. Meridian, Frozen, Paradise Lost, Fallen, Grace, Chimera, Heroes II, The Lost City I and II. I think that´s all.  
  
Summary: It should have been easy. Life, love. But it wasn´t. Never to them it seemed. Of course they were happy at times, but too much was lost, too much was sacrificed in the end.  
  
Disclaimers: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. No copyright infringement is intended.  
  
Author´s Note: Thank you Pat for beta--great job as always my friend. This is my first story with more than one chapter so feel free to tell me how am I doing. That means feedback´s much wanted and appreciated. Thought you should know English is not my first language. This is something I couldn´t get out of my head, it just needed to be written. Hope you like it. Enjoy!

Dedicated to my brother who got me hooked to the show from the very beginning and who has absolutely no idea what a shipper means. And I think he could care less. He watches the show because it´s so damn good! I agree!  
  
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From the beginning they had kept their relationship as a secret. It was easier that way, they told themselves, both knowing it was a lie. But still, they hadn´t revealed their secret lives to their friends. He wanted to keep their life simple, without explanations, and she only wanted him.  
  
But people around them knew. Daniel understood it first, then Teal´c. But neither said anything. They would simply exchange glances as they saw the small gestures between the lovers.  
  
They were careful first, afraid of being caught by someone who would not understand their need for each other, their love for each other. They sat by the fire, close to each other, shoulders touching, and in the cover of darkness, she reached for his hand, and a soft sigh left his lips as he relaxed.  
  
He felt better when she was close.  
  
Sometimes it was easier when they were off-world. When it was only the four of them. Not always, but sometimes they shared tents; it was warmer like that, safer. She shared her tent with Teal´c. She didn´t know why, only that if she needed to make a choice, it was him.  
  
Maybe, she often thought, it was because it was simpler that way. They didn´t need to lie if someone asked. She didn´t want to be too obvious. And maybe it was because from the beginning, the jaffa had been a safe choice for her.  
  
The silent jaffa didn´t need sleep like the humans did, and he often stood outside in guard, allowing his friends to have the rest their bodies and minds needed.  
  
Maybe that was her reason too.  
  
Those nights she waited him to come to her, and he did. The man she had loved since the first days would lie down next to her, fully clothed, and they slept. Together. It was enough.  
  
And neither Daniel nor Teal´c said anything. They were happy for them.  
  
She had hardly spent one night alone since their first night together. She couldn´t sleep without him anymore. She did try. A few times she asked him to not to come, and he just nodded, understanding, and with a soft kiss of goodnight he walked away. But then sleep would not come. Never when she was alone.  
  
And those nights, hours before sunrise he found himself standing behind her door and she smiled as she saw him and she let him into her bedroom. And the sleep came to them.  
  
Sometimes, mostly after long and exhausting missions, they would have a day off. And those were the mornings she liked the most.  
  
They slept late, made love and whispered sweet nothingness to each other. One day, the light rain was tapping against the window and he hugged her closer, and she sighed happily.  
  
"I love you." He told her softly.  
  
"I know." She grinned to herself. "From the day one."  
  
"I wouldn´t say 'from the day one', Sam. But close."  
  
He chuckled as she punched him lightly. "Come on, Sam, you annoyed the shit out of me back then."  
  
"I know."  
  
Suddenly she found herself lying under him, his dark eyes searching for her blue ones, his face serious. "I love you." He told her again, and she reached to touch his cheek with her fingers, caressing the rough skin gently.  
  
"I love you." She said softly. "So much that it hurts sometimes."  
  
He leaned down to kiss her, pressing his lips against hers so softly, so lovingly that she felt the aching pain in her heart. She loved him more than the life itself.  
  
And it was that very afternoon when Janet and Cassandra Frasier found out the secret relationship.  
  
The mother and daughter stood behind the door, holding an umbrella to cover them from the falling rain.  
  
"Hey." They greeted grinning at the sight in front of them.  
  
And Jack O´Neill sighed, wishing he would have put more clothes than a tee shirt and boxer shorts. Without a word from him he let the women inside the house. He closed the door, the crash of closing thunder breaking the silence, and he knew they expected him to say something.  
  
"Sam´s in the shower." He started slowly.  
  
And to his surprise, it seemed to be enough; Cassandra nodded before heading into the kitchen, still steaming pizza box in her other hand, sodas and rented movies in the other. Janet patted his shoulder lightly as she followed her daughter. And he was left alone, amazed.  
  
It was still raining when he left her house. She kissed him softly before he walked to his car, and for a moment she ignored the cold wind that wrapped around her as she leaned against the doorframe and watched him drive away.  
  
A small chuckle left her lips as she heard the demands to close the door coming from the living room where the two other women had found comfortable seats in front of the fireplace.  
  
End of part 1 


	2. Part 2

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Time passed.  
  
They were still hiding their feelings. Worried that the regulations would force them apart. They were afraid.  
  
But they were happy.  
  
And then came the day Daniel died. And he had pushed her away, wanting to keep a distance, afraid of losing her too. And by doing that, he almost did.  
  
She wanted to understand. But she couldn´t. She missed him, needed him, and he closed his eyes from the look of pain and sadness in her blue eyes. And for that he hated himself. But he believed he was doing the right thing.  
  
And she gave him time. She would give him all the time in the world.  
  
And then suddenly, her life fell apart again, he was gone, taken by the Tok´ra to be saved. And she was afraid he would hate her, because she knew that the reasons when she had begged him to accept the help he didn´t want, were selfish. She couldn´t lose him. She was selfish that way.  
  
But he came back. And that night he was standing behind her door again and she welcomed him home.  
  
Slowly life was returning back to normal. They still missed their friend, but they were healing.  
  
They were more in love than ever.  
  
Their missions off-world were easy, quiet, and to them, almost boring. But to her it was just fine. She enjoyed the hours in the warm sun, the clear nights under the twin-moons, and most of it, she enjoyed his company. With her he was serious and funny, gentle and loving and she knew there would never be anyone else for her.  
  
One night, when the moons of the still unfamiliar planet had crept up to the dark sky, she lay awake in his arms. No longer they needed to keep their secrets from their friends, and she was glad. They didn´t need the cover of the tents to lay close, together.  
  
The night was quiet, only soft voices of the two other team members were heard farther as they stood in guard. She heard a soft splash, and a smile crept on her lips. The newest member of their team was most likely throwing small rocks on the water. He did that often.  
  
The man behind her tightened his hold onto her and she sighed happily. She felt safe. And she allowed his soft, steady breathing lull her into a sleep.  
  
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It was raining.  
  
The warm, sunny planets now only in his memories as he listened the raging storm outside. He hated it. But the woman in the tent with him didn´t seem to mind; she was sleeping.  
  
He would have wanted to lie down with her, but he sat by the door, keeping guard in case of the enemy he was fairly sure was not there. But just in case. It was how he had been trained. It was how he lived.  
  
The crash of thunder was heard now closer and he let out a long sigh as the rain fell from the sky harder.  
  
A soft cry left from her lips and he turned to look at her. She was still having nightmares.  
  
Their lives at the SGC wasn´t easy. Too many times they had lost each other, watched the other die and being tortured. Not too long ago he had been away, and she had been desperate to find him. His time on the planet with the man he absolutely hated hadn´t been easy for him, but life hadn´t been easy for Sam Carter either.  
  
She had refused to talk about it, but he had his way. And he knew. She had been crushed. Lost. Desperate.  
  
But he had survived. They always did.  
  
Then Daniel had returned. Lost and confused. But he was back. And life was good again.  
  
He heard her moving, pushing the sleeping bag aside and sitting up. Glancing back to her he let out a small chuckle, and she frowned at him.  
  
"It´s still raining, why don´t you go back to sleep." He suggested softly.  
  
She rubbed her face, her eyes still sleepy. But she shook her head as a no and he watched her crawling to him. She sat next to him, placing her head against his shoulder and fighting to keep her eyes open. She was still tired.  
  
He wrapped his arm around her and placed a soft kiss against her hair. And they sat like that for a long moment, listening the closing thunder.  
  
End of part 2 


	3. Part 3

Author´s Note: Rating changes - mild R I guess... just to be sure. Thanks for reading (Sci Fi Fan Gillian especially, thanks for reviewing), this is the final chapter. No sequel, it will be on TV tonight :) not as shippy as I have made it, but... Feel free to email what happened, I am not going to see it cause I live in Finland! Ugh! :)

-Lia

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He had promised to be there for her, always. And still he had pushed her away. Like he had done before. Only this time she knew it was over.  
  
She felt the tears burning in her eyes, but she forced them back. She would not cry.  
  
She did not understand. He was afraid, she knew that. But they had been afraid before. No longer afraid of being caught by those who didn´t understand, they would quit before being forced apart, but afraid of losing the other, losing the other to the death itself.  
  
And now she was alone. No, not alone. She had someone in her life. Someone who made her laugh, and made her feel special. Not the way _he _had. Never like Jack O´Neill had. But Pete was there.  
  
And it was then when her life changed.  
  
The mission went wrong, horribly wrong. He had been hit. And she had been lost, terrified. She couldn´t live without him. And she sat by his bed, holding his hand and praying to the God she wanted to be up there.  
  
Then, suddenly, without a warning she had lost her best friend. Cassandra losing her mother, and Daniel Jackson losing the woman he loved.  
  
Janet Frasier had died in the arms of the man she had promised to marry someday. A day that would never come.  
  
The first off-world mission after everything was easy. Nothing but trees and rocks as far as you could see, making the three archeologists with them happy. And seeing Daniel at least interested about the rocks again, made the rest of the team happy. He had been lost without Janet.  
  
Jack O´Neill glanced around the small camp the two teams had put up and frowned. She was nowhere to seen.  
  
He found her by the small lake, and he felt his heart aching as he listened her crying. Without a word he sat next to her, and wrapped his arm around her. She turned to look at him, and the wave of longing to feel him washed over her, and she kissed him. Hard, needing, and with the same passion he kissed her back.  
  
A long time ago she had made a rule when they were off-world. A rule that allowed them to sleep together, to be close to each other, talk and touch. Nothing else. He had dared to kiss her sometimes, and she had never pulled away. But nothing else.  
  
And now she was breaking their rule.  
  
She left out a soft moan as his hands found away under her shirt. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him down on the soft grass with her. She arched her back, rubbing her body slowly against him, and he let out a groan of pleasure.  
  
Still half dressed he finally entered her, and she was more than ready. She bit her lips to hold back a cry of his name as he started to move. Her nails left marks on his back, and his hold onto her arms tightened, and she was sure he was leaving bruises. But nothing that mattered, nothing but the other.  
  
Tears started to fall down on her face, and for a moment he stopped, worried that he really was hurting her. But she shook her head, her eyes begging him to continue. And he did. And she felt the pleasure washing over her, over and over again before he finally emptied himself into her.  
  
She half expected him to roll over and walk away. After all, they weren´t together anymore. He owed her nothing. But he did not move. He knew he should have, they were far enough from the camp and from the others, and he knew his orders to stay there was being followed, but still...  
  
He lifted his head to look at her, kissed her damp face lovingly, brushing the tears away with his thumb.  
  
"Are you okay?" He asked softly.  
  
She nodded her head. But the fresh tears in her eyes betrayed her.  
  
He finally pulled away, pulled his pants up and straightened his shirt. Then helped her to dress before pulling her so close she was almost sitting in his lap. And she felt safe again. And she never wanted to let go.  
  
She wanted to be with him.  
  
He had hated Pete Shanahan since the beginning, never really giving him the chance to earn his trust. He knew he wasn´t being fair, after all, he had broke off the relationship with her because of assorted reasons even he didn´t understand. But she was with someone else now, and yet she was in his arms, and she felt so good, so familiar.  
  
But Pete was still there. And he wanted to ask about him, but couldn´t say the words. Their love making only moments ago had been more of comfort than anything else. To prove to each other that they were still alive. He had missed her, and now having her in his arms again, he decided to ignore the feelings of the other man who awaited her on Earth.  
  
"I want to be with you." She whispered her thoughts to him.  
  
He nodded silently against her neck where his head was resting. He wanted to be with her too. Always, forever. Till death do us part, he thought.  
  
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But still, she was seeing Pete, and he spent his nights at the base; it was easier than lying on his bed alone, having her things and scent around him.  
  
Their life had turned. And not for better.  
  
And then he had sacrificed himself for the people of earth. He was saving them, and dying himself. And she hated him for that. She was losing him, and it looked like there was nothing they could do.  
  
The last night spent together before the mission was filled with sadness from her part. She couldn´t stop the tears falling, and he let her cry in his arms. He would only regret the time he had told her she would be happier with someone else. By now they both knew better. And he regretted the lost time.  
  
Over and over they made love that night. Over and over they told how much they loved each other.  
  
The mission was successful, they won the fight. But he had just lost his battle. And she had lost him. And now she sat alone in his home, the silence around her keeping her company that she didn´t want from anyone else. And they had tried.  
  
She was completely lost without him. And no longer she had the strength to fight. She was giving up.  
  
She was selfish that way too.  
  
Again she felt the tears roll down on her cheeks, and she let them fall. She was too tired to hear the door open, too tired even to see the man standing in front of her until he spoke.  
  
"Sam, they have found a way." Daniel said softly.  
  
And she followed him out, too afraid to feel relieved yet. She would wait until he was back in her arms. But she couldn´t keep a small smile creeping on her lips as she saw Teal´c and Cassandra waiting her by the car.  
  
"Good to see you smile again, Sammie." Cassandra said using the nickname only Jacob used about his daughter. "Your dad and uncle George are waiting for us." She continued wrapping her arm around the older woman´s shoulder.  
  
Sam sighed, feeling some of the pain ease.  
  
"We will save him. We will get him back to you, to us." Cassie promised, and Sam felt her heart ache because of the love she felt for the girl. She had dealt so much lately, and she was still as strong as her mother would have been in the situations like that.  
  
She gave her a smile in reply and glanced up to the clear sky, sending a prayer to the God she now believed was up there. This has to be the way, she thought. It had to be. They deserved another chance. So much had been sacrificed, so much had been lost. They simply deserved it.  
  
The End


End file.
